My Yorkie puppy collapses from low blood sugar. Can it be saved?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your puppy. I recommend placing some karo or maple syrup on her gums. Puppies can experience low blood sugar which will cause weakness. Then I recommend seeking emergency veterinary care right away. Her symptoms are worrisome and it is important to determine the cause so she can be treated. I hope this information helps.

Hello. This is unfortunate for you and your puppy. Sometimes, very small toy breed puppies can not regulate their blood sugar and become hypoglycemic, have seizures and neurological issues. If your vet has not monitored his blood glucose- that needs to be done. This can be treated with a high caloric supplement called NutriCal that can be given throughout the day to keep his blood sugar levels in the normal range. The other thing to test for is a liver shunt. This is a congenital malformation of blood vessels that go to and from the liver. If your puppy has a shunt, their liver is usually smaller than normal and cannot perform its normal functions. This can cause toxins to build up and that causes seizures. This disorder can sometimes be corrected with surgery or managed with special diets and medication. If your veterinarian is uncomfortable moving forward , ask to be referred to an internal medicine specialist or even just another general practitioner with more experience with these issues. Best of luck. I hope you can get some answers. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Hypoglycemia is a big problem in small breed puppies. At 10 weeks old I would worried about that and also it could be that he has a liver problem (shunt) or a cardiac issue. Teddy may need more testing to figure out what is going on. An ultrasound may be taken of the abdomen to try and identify a pancreatic, liver or other type of tumor that could cause hypoglycemia. Puppies and adult dogs that appear to be in a stupor or coma during a hypoglycemic attack should immediately be given sugar water or an oral concentrated solution of glucose, such as corn (Karo) syrup or Nutri-Cal. Rub it directly on his gums. The sugar will be absorbed directly through the tissue into the bloodstream. You should add two tablespoons Karo syrup to your puppy’s water for all day sipping. Be sure to dump out and add fresh each day or the sugar water could grow bacteria. Schedule several meals every day. Toy breed adults and any young puppy have trouble eating enough food at one setting. So a small meal several times a day helps keep the blood sugar levels normal. I hope this helps. You really need to keep in contact with your vet about Teddy's symptoms. Best wishes.

She’s tiny, she could have low sugar or hypoglycemia. This can become life threatening. Please give her a 1/2 teaspoonful of honey or Karo syrup. You can rub it into her gums if she won’t lick it. I would try to have her eat small amounts of small breed puppy food at least six times daily until she’s bigger and stronger. If you still can’t get her to eat she will need veterinary treatment soon. This is a serious medical problem. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your puppy.

A good alternative is pancake syrup or honey. If you do not have that, you can try to put a small amount of regular sugar on the tongue and it should dissolve. If he is able to eat some food, canned or sift puppy food is also good to try to get in him as soon as he seems alert enough to eat.

Puppies have limited glucose reserves. This is why they need to be fed frequently. It is normal and not a reason for euthanasia. Have him examined by your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes. Feed a good quality puppy food and supplement with NutriCal, a calorie dense paste that is used for quick energy. As he gets older, you won't need to feed him as often and by one year of age, he should be eating twice daily.

I’m so sorry to hear about Marley. Unfortunately this is a potentially very bad situation. These tiny guys get low blood sugar, low blood volume, and low temperature so easily. These can lead to shock and death pretty quickly. I urge you to take her in to a 24 hour emergency clinic as soon as possible. They may want to start active warming, place an IV, and give glucose and fluids straight into the IV. If taking her in is out of the question, apply Karo syrup or honey to the gums, get a thermometer (or sacrifice one you already have). And warm her up with a towel over a heating pad or hot water bottle. Take a rectal temp every 15 minutes and keep warming until her rectal temperature is 99F. Under NO circumstances should the heat source touch her directly as she can burn easily. If she can hold her head up and seems alert, offer water in a bowl to her face at least once an hour. Small frequent hi-calorie meals (such as nutrical or canned puppy food) should be offered all night. Sadly, this all may still fail without IV fluids and other veterinary intervention. Worse yet, I have temporarily pulled little guys like this out of shock two or three times only to have them finally pass or the owners euthanize. I suspect that these guys often were born with an organ abnormality that was unknown. I know that was a lot of information so please feel free to reach out to me via text or phone consultation if you have more specific questions or need further guidance. (See link below.) Best of luck to you and Marley!